Threesome
by FrankaPhile
Summary: After graduation, Warren, Will and Layla have formed a powerful trio. Love seems like it could tear the team apart, though, and with the arrival of a new villain falling apart just isn't an option.
1. The Trio

DISCLAIMER: Sky High is not mine. The idea of Layla packing 'seed bombs' comes from Gryphaena who is twice as cool as me.

* * *

"Look out!" Will flew directly into Layla, keeping her from being crushed by a chunk of asphalt that had been thrown in her direction. Warren wished that he could throw fire at the villainess, but she was using a Greyhound bus packed full of people as a shield. If he got fire near there the gasoline in the vehicle would create a dangerous display of pyrotechnics, killing or at least seriously injuring the innocents inside.

With Will's assistance, Layla got to her feet. She reached into her pocket and withdrew a tiny seedling redwood tree packed in a mix of fertilizer and potting soil. She caused what appeared to be a harmless chunk of dirt to grow into a very tall, very strong tree. Soon, with her influence, the branches reached out and twisted around, restraining the woman who had started this fight. The villainess struggled to be free, but her strength was no match for the redwood's branches. Layla smiled, feeling a little proud about what she'd done but also far from satisfied.

Both Warren and Will hurried over to the bus full of hostages. The villainess had twisted and warped the metal exterior of the bus so that even the Jaws of Life would have an extremely rough time freeing the innocents. Their muffled cries became louder and louder as they gradually became more and more panicked and concerned about their fate. Luckily for them, Will Stronghold had no trouble ripping off almost the entire left side of the bus.

The freed citizens fled their metal prison, some stopping to thank Will and Warren with tears of joy in their eyes and others just running as fast as they could away from the insane villainess who was still stuck in Layla's tree.

The three heroes, though, were so focused on other things that by the time they noticed an evil sidekick freeing the villainess it was too late. The branches that had restrained the woman were now crushed and broken into mere splinters thanks to some gadget the sidekick toted. Layla scowled, causing the undamaged branches to swoop down. She'd tripped the sidekick but the villainess withdrew a gun. Before she could yell for assistance, she was hit by a powerful blast of energy. Although she wasn't killed, Layla was sent flying fast into one of the marble columns in front of the Maxville Train Station. She was knocked unconscious.

Both Will and Warren, being typical protective friends, practically growled with anger. Since the bus and all of the gasoline pumping through it was no longer nearby, Warren was able to send one hell of a fireball directly at the villainess, scorching and immobilizing her.

Will picked up the remnants of what had been a Greyhound bus and twisted the metal around both the villainess and her sidekick, imprisoning them for sure.

Those who'd been watching safely from the sidelines now flooded the streets, clapping for the trio. Will soaked it all up, grinning and flashing his million dollar smile, while Warren hurried over to the front of the train station, picking up and cradling the unconscious Layla in his arms.

* * *

Layla's eyes opened slowly and as she woke up her hand immediately went to what would most likely develop into a giant welt of a bruise. She rubbed her side gently, frowning at the pain that came from touching her injury.

"Hey, you're awake." Warren leaned over, sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup. "How you feeling?"

"Kinda like crap." She scrunched her nose, looking around the bed she was lying on. She was in Triage, she'd decided. There were sick and injured people all around, only separated from her by white curtains. The only thing missing? Will Stronghold.

"Where's Will…?" Layla sat up groggily.

"He was going to get us a pizza." Warren nodded.

"Pizza…?" She raised a brow.

"He wanted to celebrate our first victory with greasy, cheesy food." He smirked slightly. "I should probably get the doctor. He'll want to make sure you're not mentally stunted from that blow to your head." Layla returned his smirk, rolling her eyes a little. Warren stood from his seat, walking over to the nurse's station. Only a minute or so later, he returned with a doctor.

"Good morning! Sleep well?" The doctor laughed at his own joke, then stopping the moment he realized that he was laughing alone. He pulled a flashlight from his pocket, shining it into Layla's eyes to check the dilation of her pupils.

"You sure got banged up pretty good, but it appears that nothing's broken. I imagine you'll have lots of bruises, but you'll be alright." He smiled with a nod, disappearing to take care of other patients. Layla groggily got to her feet, leaning on Warren for support.

"I'm thinking pizza would be real nice right about now." She looked up at her human crutch with that signature smile of hers. Warren returned the smile and nodded.

"Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want any. I'd prefer oriental cuisine, actually, but pizza is almost as good." He shrugged.

"It's good celebration food. I mean, other than landing me in the ER, we really kicked butt today." Warren stifled a laugh at her statement. Laughing for him was a rarity.

* * *

"I thought we were taking a pizza home." Warren complained, looking all around him. This wasn't your average pizza parlor, but rather a haven for little children who liked to climb, swing, jump, fling lightweight plastic balls at each other and scream at the top of their lungs because they needed their mothers. They didn't call it the Pizza Playground for nothing. It was enough to make him swear that he would never have children.

"Ah, what's the matter? Don't like the ambiance?" Will grinned at his friend, taking an enormous bite of his cheese pizza. Both he and Warren had wanted pepperoni, but Miss Eco-Conscious America had objected to the consumption of meat.

"I can remember when we used to come here all the time!" Layla smiled brightly. "I liked the twisty slides best and, as I remember it, Will liked the ball pit." She nodded, looking at the ocean of smiling toddlers.

"Well, don't let me interrupt your trip down memory lane…" Warren stood up from their table. "I'm going to get another soda." He eagerly escaped the reminiscence, chewing on a bite of pizza as he walked over to the soda fountain with his near-empty paper cup.

"It seems like it was yesterday we were right here. Much shorter than we are now, but… It's just nice to remember." Layla smiled and nudged Will only to find him staring at a beautiful young girl. The girl returned his gaze, smiling suggestively and walking over to their table.

"Excuse me, but do I know you guys from…" She lowered her voice and leaned in close between Layla and Will. "Sky High?"

Will nodded, setting down his pizza and holding out his hand. "Sure do! Will Stronghold. And, uh, this is Layla." He nodded in her direction. Although it wasn't totally sincere, Layla smiled and waved a bit.

"Agnes Gordon." She nodded to Layla and shook Will's hand.

"Hey," Warren eyed the newcomer to their table, sipping his Coke.

"And this is Warren." Will added, pointing to the pyrokinetic who gave a silent wave.

"Wow, it's so cool to see you guys outside of school. But I guess I won't be seeing you there anymore. You just graduated, right?" The three of them nodded together.

"So, that was you in the news, today?" Agnes smiled flirtatiously at Will who returned the smile albeit in an awkward almost-goofy sort of way.

"Yep. That was me." He grinned wider, getting a little full of himself. "Us, I mean. Me, Warren, and Layla."

"Wow, that was amazing. They showed how you totally ripped off piece of that truck or bus or whatever." Layla had to hold back from rolling her eyes at Agnes' display of ass-kissery. Warren smirked slightly, mildly amused at how even Will Stronghold could be struck dumb by a pretty girl.

"You're so strong!" Agnes giggled, squeezing Will's bicep a bit. He laughed back, even though the girl was talking like she was some dumb blonde from a 1950's movie and Will was Elvis. That left Warren and Layla sitting very awkwardly and totally silent. Maybe it was for the best - If Warren had spoken it would have been a cutting remark and if Layla had spoken it would have shown just how jealous she was that Will was moving on.

True, they were no longer a couple, but Layla had expected Will to have to get over her. She wasn't cocky and she certainly didn't think she was the greatest girl around, but shouldn't it have hurt just a little bit to have to let go of her? She'd certainly hurt when she'd let go of Will. In fact, it was becoming clear to her as he flirted with Agnes that she wasn't entirely over him quite yet.

"Well, it's getting late. I'm going to head home." She smiled faintly, taking one last bite of pizza before standing up.

"It was nice meeting you, Laura." Agnes smiled brightly and waved.

"Layla," Warren corrected her in a surprisingly firm voice. Agnes feigned embarrassment and laughed to herself.

"Sorry. Layla, then. Nice meeting you." Layla nodded.

"Nice to meet you, too, Agnes." She turned with a slight huff and made her way out of the restaurant/playground. If ever there was a time for Will to chase after his ex-girlfriend it was then, but Will was blissfully blind to the situation and too busy with Agnes to really notice that tears had begun to well up in Layla's eyes before she'd left the pizza place. She didn't blame him. He was being praised by a gorgeous young woman after his first battle. She managed to convince herself that it wasn't because he didn't care, just that he was distracted.

For a few seconds, Layla was too focused on her self-depreciating inner monologue to even notice the people passing by who gave the sniffling girl looks of pity, but once she'd gotten herself together the world came into view. Crescent moon, clear sky, lots of sparkling stars and… Footsteps…? Slowly, Layla became aware that somebody was walking after her.

Wary and on edge, especially after getting beaten up earlier that day, Layla whipped herself around to face whoever was stalking her. She reached into her pocket and was ready to wrap whoever it was in a gigantic golden pothos vine but blushed, putting the seedling back into her pocket when she saw that it was, in fact…

"Warren?" She smiled a bit in disbelief. "I almost… I, uh… Did you need something?"

"I was just worried about you." Warren shrugged, speaking the truth. "You okay…?" He looked at her, concern showing in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm doing alright. A little soreness in the back, but alright…" She smiled, failing to assure Warren that nothing other than her physical injuries was hurting her.

"I saw you back there. You were tearing up." Warren stepped closer to her. "And you hardly touched your pizza."

"I'm not much of a pizza person." Layla sighed, avoiding eye contact with Warren.

"How about Chinese, then? My treat." She looked him in the eyes with a tiny smile on her face.

"Sure thing."


	2. A Trip to The Mall

DISCLAIMER: Sky High is not mine. Duh.

I wanted to get the others involved in the story as hardly anybody ever writes about Maj, Ethan, and Zach.

* * *

"It figures. He was always one to think with his--"

"Shh!" Layla shushed Magenta before she could get out all of her spicy-talk. "But, yeah, I know. It kinda hurt."

Magenta took a bite of her salad, rolling her eyes at Layla. "You've got to decide whether you're with him or not. I mean, yes, he was being an ass from what you've told me, but since you're not his girl anymore…" She trailed off with a shrug. Layla just sighed.

"Why aren't there any _male _groupies for superheroes?" She whined.

"I dunno about that." Magenta took a sip of her Coke. "Warren had that one guy chasing after him for a while. Man," She laughed. "What I would have given to see those two in action…"

"You know what I mean!" Layla laughed a little, secretly agreeing that Warren hooking up with said groupie would have been hot. "Straight guys." Her smile turned into a slight pout. "Is that so much to ask?"

"Guys aren't all they're cracked up to be." Magenta said, matter-of-factly. "Actually, girls aren't that great either…" She shrugged.

"Speaking of guys," Layla swallowed a bite of salad. "How are things going with Zach?" Magenta responded with an immediate eye-roll.

"He's like a puppy, Layla. Everywhere I go Zach follows." She set down her fork, leaning in closer. "That martial arts class I just joined? He joined, too!" Layla laughed a little. "Oh, but it's _not funny!" _

"He's been doing that for four years, Maj, and you never complained before."

"I have!" She protested with a tiny smile on her face. "Just… not out loud and not to you."

"So why don't you tell him to leave you alone?" Layla folded her hands on the table.

"Because," Magenta smiled to herself in a way that Layla hardly ever saw anyone smile. "I don't know. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment."

"Oh my **God**!" The two girls looked up hearing the shout of some random woman. She looked like she had seen a ghost or a celebrity or… "Botanika? Are you Botanika?" She asked the question in a soft voice, stooping by Layla and Magenta's table with a big smile on her face.

"Is that your super-name?" Magenta raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with Layla's creativity or lack thereof.

"I guess that's me." Layla shrugged, looking confused, then quickly realized that she'd given her identity away. "Or not."

"Well, that's what Powerman said your name was on the news." The woman seemed a bit shy but stared up at Layla as if she was some sort of rare gem.

"Powerman?" Magenta burst out laughing. "Ohh and here I thought Zach-Attack was as bad as it got…"

"You, Powerman, and The Torch! You saved me the other day." Layla's eyes went wide. Powerman had to have been Will and The Torch was obviously Warren. She silently thanked her lucky stars that Will hadn't given her a completely tasteless and tacky superhero name.

"I… I'm Angela Grey." The woman thrust out her hand to Layla with a big grin on her face. "You're a real inspiration to women everywhere, Botanika."

"Well, um…" Layla shook Angela's hand. "Thank you. I think…" She scrunched up her eyebrows, glancing to see Magenta's reaction but she only shrugged.

"Way to go, _Botanika_." Maj snickered as she said the super-name.

"Seriously!" The woman smiled, shaking her head at Magenta. She then reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. "I work at Modern Woman magazine which has its offices right here in Maxville. Would you be so kind as to lend your likeness to the cover?"

Layla nearly spit out her soda in shock. She looked from Angela to Magenta and back to Angela again with shock on her face.

"I, uh…" She found herself practically speechless. "I can't reveal my identity." She whispered to the woman who seemed to be her biggest fan.

"Oh, no problem at all! We can work around that just fine. What do you say about a totally anonymous interview? I mean, you're certainly the beauty of your super-trio and people would love to see your face on Modern Woman."

"Well," Layla laughed, blushing a bright rosy color. "I guess that I could do a brief interview. Just as long as you don't give away my identity."

"Perfect!" Angela shouted, beaming like crazy with her bright white smile. "Just call me, Angela Grey, at the number on the card. Perfect." She walked away from the table, seemingly in seventh heaven from meeting Layla.

"Speaking of random women kissing superhero ass…" Magenta trailed off with a smirk.

"Oh, shush." Layla was still smiling from the encounter. "She seemed… _nice_."

"Yeah, if by 'nice' you mean 'insane', sure." She sipped at her Coke some more.

"Wow, I'm going to be a cover girl." Layla grinned at the thought while Magenta rolled her eyes.

"So I guess you'll be needing a costume to mask that happy lil' face of yours, eh Botanika?"

"I guess so…" Layla shrugged, finishing off her salad. "Probably something totally natural like leaves or petals… I wanna look good." She confessed with a tiny smile.

"Well, we'll just have to dress you up, then." Magenta smiled, counting out money to pay for her half of the bill. Layla followed suit and the two of them exited the restaurant, walking into the Maxville Shopping Mall.

"It's been forever since I've been shopping." Layla smiled, looking all around the mall concourse with wide eyes.

"We used to live at this place." Magenta smiled at her friend. "I still come here all of the time. It makes life seem a lot more normal than it actually is."

"I know what you mean." Layla looked at her friend empathetically.

"You really don't." Maj smirked. "You're lucky. You have a useful power and you fit neatly into the world of superheroes. I spent four years studying how to be a good sidekick only to find that no superhero wants a guinea pig backing them up."

Layla's mouth dropped slightly as she was overcome with a sudden loss for words.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna go all moody teenager on you, Layla. Just needed to get that out in the open." Layla nodded to Magenta, relieved that she was letting it go. She wasn't in the mood for drama, not after Angela Grey had made her so thrilled.

"Got an idea of what your costume is gonna look like?" Layla shook her head.

"I was thinking something green." She shrugged a little. "Other than that, I'm not really-- Ooh."

Layla stopped walking and grabbed Magenta by the arm so that she would stop as well. She found herself staring at a green sequined dress in the window of a store. It was absolutely stunning. The hem came to the mannequin's thigh and the neckline plunged fairly low without it looking slutty or tasteless.

"Think practically, Layla." Magenta elbowed her friend slightly, smirking just a bit.

"What's so bad about wearing a dress to fight in?" Layla cocked her head to the side, still staring at the dress.

"How about the wind blowing and showing off your little green panties?" She laughed lightly.

"True." Layla laughed with Magenta. "Hmm…"

"Leotards!" She blurted out, pointing in the direction of a dance supplies store. Magenta looked to where she pointed, shaking her head.

"Are you gonna wear a _tutu _to fight in? Layla, _c'mon_…" Magenta rolled her eyes but Layla dragged her by the arm into the dance supplies store. Maj wasn't too fond of ballet or those who practiced it. It had to do with the fact that she was made an outcast by her kindergarten tap/ballet combination class. That sort of thing can traumatize a person when they're small and impressionable.

"There!" Layla stared open-mouthed up at a stretchy green leotard. It was like a one-piece swimsuit with a tiny green skirt around the hips. "That's practical, isn't it?" She looked back to Magenta who just rolled her eyes in response.

"Excuse me!" She waved excitedly to the waif of a girl who stood behind the counter. "Would you please get me that leotard in a size 8?" The girl, less than thrilled to actually have to do work, walked over toting a sort of pole. She used it like an extension of her arm, picking up several leotards, and then picking out the one that was a size 8 for Layla.

"Ooh, I'm gonna try it on!" She bounced a little, excited to be picking out her new super heroine costume. Layla made her way into a changing room, hopping out of her jeans and right into the leotard.

"Maj, you out there?" Layla called from the room.

"Right here." As soon as she answered, a very green Layla hopped out of the changing room.

"Does this look botanical enough?" She tugged at the tiny skirt, wishing that it covered more than it actually did.

"I plead the fifth." Magenta smirked, looking over her best friend. Truthfully, she didn't look bad. Layla had never been one to show off her body so it was a bit of a shock to Magenta that she was actually sort of hot. "It suits you."

"I don't look like an enormous slut, do I?" Layla looked at her friend hoping that the answer was no.

"No, just a tiny one." Magenta laughed lightly. "Sorry, couldn't resist… No, you don't look like a slut."

While Magenta spoke Layla smiled and reached to see the price tag.

"Oh! It's only twenty bucks!" Her face lit up with a smile. Magenta just scrunched up her nose.

"_That _much for that _tiny little _thing?"

"Just enjoy the moment with me, Maj. I'm being _frugal_!"


	3. A Visit With Edna

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or its characters. Edna Mode is not mine, either.

* * *

"We came over to your house to talk about uniforms?" Warren rolled his eyes, sitting on Layla's bed with a sigh. Will sat beside him looking unenthusiastic about their meeting.

"Well, yeah, but that's not all." Layla crossed her arms, proceeding hesitantly. "I was asked to do an interview for Modern Woman magazine." There was a long silence.

"Is that even an option?" Warren leaned forwards, propping his elbows up on his knees and looking up to Layla. "It seems kind of reckless, to me."

"Oh, and _you're _going to lecture me on the pitfalls of being reckless?" Layla looked to Will. "What do you think about it?" He only responded with a shrug.

"I just think that we should make decisions like this as a threesome. You know, a crime fighting threesome of friends…?" She looked from Will to Warren.

"You know my opinion." Warren shrugged. "But I'm not going to stand in your way. Just don't mention anything about me and I guess it's cool. I mean, as long as you're cool with jeopardizing your safety, revealing your identity, and just generally fucking everything up. So, yeah, go ahead." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but it came from a good place. Warren didn't like to think of what could happen to Layla if she exposed herself like that. It was that damn protective streak rearing its ugly head again.

"Screw you!" She shouted, her hands on her hips and her eyebrows wrinkled close together angrily. "You're not my… Ugh, why am I even letting this bother me?"

"Guys…?" Will leaned forward, speaking in a meek little voice. "Stay levelheaded, okay? And Layla," He looked up at her. "Go ahead with the interview, but not a photo op. That's too risky."

"Wonderful." Warren stood up, gritting his teeth together. "Brilliant plan, Will, but who said that you had the last say in this? We're not your subordinates, here."

"This is never going to work." Layla crumpled onto the bed, cradling her head in her hands and frowning miserably. "We're supposed to be a team and we're at each others' throats." Will tried to comfort her, putting a hand on her back. There was a brief pause as everyone caught their breath, trying to regain composure.

"What did you want to show us, anyway?" Warren leaned against the bedroom door, looking at Layla curiously. Her frown was replaced with a tiny little smile.

"My costume. Close your eyes. Both of you." Both Warren and Will closed their eyes with an almost exasperated sigh. Layla pulled her leotard from the bag, using her training from Sky High to speedily change into the skintight green get-up. Just when the temptation to open their eyes prematurely hit a peak, Layla smiled brightly with her hands on her hips.

"Open 'em!" Warren and Will opened their eyes. Layla took in their reactions but decided that a five second pause was too much. She had to coax a reaction from them. "Well…?"

"It's… green." Will eyed Layla, secretly admiring every single bit of exposed skin.

"And tight." Warren added, wondering if he should still have been hiding his eyes or not.

"I like it." She chirped happily, admiring her reflection in her bedroom mirror.

"I think it's about time I introduce you guys to a family friend." Will smiled to himself. "But, uh, Layla? You'll need to put some real clothes on before we go." Layla frowned slightly at his comment.

* * *

"Welcome!" Shouted the tiniest woman Layla had ever seen. She was short and small but she radiated confidence maybe even in a cocky sort of way. Her hair was pitch black, bobbed short so it came to her jaw line. She wore thick, round-rimmed black glasses on her face that matched her black ensemble and her nose was the cutest, up-turned little button.

"I am Edna Mode, fashion maven for the super world, and you may call me E." She smiled, looking up at the trio.

"I've been waiting for you to come into your own, William, but I never imagined you would bring me such lovely teammates." She smiled up at Layla and the significantly taller Warren. "Tell me, darlings, what are your powers?"

"I make and control fire." Warren was still getting used to looking down at the Edna.

"A pyrokinetic! How wonderful. I haven't worked with a pyrokinetic for a long time." She then looked over to Layla. "And you, dear?"

"Oh, I control nature. Like… The growth of plants and things like that." She smiled shyly, a bit intimidated by Edna.

"Wonderful! Oh, and William, which of your parents' powers did you inherit, hmm?"

"Both, actually." Will smiled confidently.

"Marvelous, darling, simply marvelous…" Edna led the trio down a long hallway. The floor was bright white, shiny, and pristine giving all of Edna's manor a futuristic, stylish sort of air. Here and there on the walls were mannequins modeling her past designs. She typed in a security code, using her cigarette holder to press the numbers, leaned in so she could have her retinas scanned, and placed her hand over a palm-reading device. It was like a high tech Fort Knox and, like little children, the trio of superheroes couldn't wait to see what was hidden inside.

"Edna Mode." She spoke into a microphone apparently for voice-confirmation. Immediately, a variety of intimidating guns dropped from an opening in the ceiling, pointing at the trio. Each of them was on guard until Edna spoke once more into the microphone - "And guests." - and the guns disappeared.

"This is quite an operation." Layla looked around, her eyes wide with awe.

"It's my home. My ideas thrive here." Edna smiled at Layla, then looking to the other two members of the threesome. "Have you thought of a color scheme?"

"I was thinking something like this." Layla pulled out her green leotard with a smile. "It's a dance leotard and--" Edna held up her hands, shushing Layla.

"It is a **crime against fashion**, darling, that's what it is!" Edna looked appalled, taking the leotard and holding as if it was the foulest sort of garbage around. She made her way to an incinerator and destroyed the leotard in a fiery, overdramatic sort of way. "It would be cruel to let you go about saving lives in _that_." She brushed her hands and looked back up to the trio. "Where were we?"

"She burned my costume." Layla frowned, speaking softly to herself.

"Color scheme. You were asking us if we'd--"

"Ah, yes, of course!" Edna made her way over to a sofa, hopping up on it and taking a seat. The others followed her, sitting across from the fashion maven. She snatched a pad and pencil from the table nearby and began sketching.

"I will make each costume unique, dazzling… Uniformity is so horribly last year, darling. I couldn't allow you all to wear matching colors. So tacky…" She scribbled notes and began to draw.

"But you made my parents, uh, The Commander and Jetstream, wear matching uniforms." Edna looked up at Will with slightly narrowed eyes.

"It has been ages since I designed those costumes and have your parents stopped by for a wardrobe update? **No**! They haven't. Therefore it is not my fault that they are prancing about in those horrible pajamas."

Layla laughed softly to herself, muffling her giggles so she wouldn't seem rude. Warren just smirked at Will's scowl. This was turning out to be much more entertaining than he had thought it would be.

"Yours will be feminine." She smiled up at Layla. "Practical, durable, and yet still celebrating all of your beauty! Villains will stop in their tracks to gape at you, darling. It will be wonderful."

"And you!" She pointed at Warren with her cigarette holder. "I would like to preserve that rebellious charm you have. I see those eyes. Quite the ladies' man, eh?" She smirked, winking at him.

"And at last, William Stronghold." She turned to look up at Will with a smile. "Ah, you have a legacy to keep up, William! Yours will be classic, a modernized version of what your father wears without the glaring out-datedness. You three will fight evil and look fabulous doing it!"

Edna hopped to her feet, toting the notepad with her.

"Now, go about your business. Your uniforms will be ready in a matter of _days_. Don't invest any more into leotards, sweetheart. It's a waste of money." She smiled up brightly at Layla.

"It was an absolute delight meeting all of you. I will have such fun dressing you up!" She grinned at the trio. "Now, I must get to work."

* * *

"It's only been three days." Layla murmured to her two friends, finding herself once more inside the impressive foyer of Edna Mode's mansion and fashion compound.

"She was dead set on getting our uniforms done." Will explained.

"I can't wait to get out of here." Warren sighed, praying that Edna wouldn't stick him in some spandex Superman outfit. Truthfully, he preferred ordinary clothes, but even his rebel of a father had worn a costume while going about super-business.

"It's my favorite three young superheroes! How nice it is to see you again!" Edna walked into the room with a big grin on her face, her tiny legs moving so fast to carry her a bit closer to her guests. "Now, come, I will show you my work!" She waved for the three of them to join her.

"We'll start with you, William." She pressed a button and a masculine mannequin came into view. "The material I used is durable, it stretches and is roomy and it's machine washable, a feature I am sure you will come to adore in time after you begin laundering your own clothing. You see the color scheme, much like your father's but without the red. I thought that blue and white would suit you perfectly."

"What, no cape or an emblazoned 'P' for _Powerman_?" Warren snickered.

"Any fashion designer worth anything at all avoids those silly details like the Black Plague, Warren. I would rather not design anything at all than design something so _horrid_." The mannequin moved to the side, making way for another.

"Now for yours, Warren." She smiled up at him.

"That looks like something out of my closet." He scrunched his eyes at the display. It seemed simple enough - black pants, black shirt with tiny flame details on the sleeves. He failed to see anything special about it.

"But that is where you are _wrong_, darling! There is so much more to this ensemble than meets the eye." She pressed a button, engulfing the whole mannequin in flames. When the flames died, the outfit remained completely unharmed and free from burns. "The material is what makes your uniform so unique. It is something I invented, one of my better discoveries as far as cutting-edge fabrics go. It will cover you up and when you ignite the clothing will be unharmed. In superhero work you simply cannot afford to spend time worrying about your wardrobe."

"And now you, Layla." Edna pressed a button, replacing Warren's mannequin with a feminine one resembling Layla's body type. The mannequin was mostly clad in a deep, rich emerald green but it was trimmed in rosy pink at the arm cuffs and waist. The pants had pockets like one might see in a pair of cargo pants. The feet were covered with black leather knee-high boots that looks ready to kick a villain square in the rear end. Layla admired it with wide eyes, smiling at her future crime-fighting wardrobe.

"It's wonderful!"

"Isn't it, though?" Edna beamed. "I'm really quite proud of these designs. So youthful and yet they beg to be taken seriously like all classics do."

"Now we can fight in style." Will cracked a grin. Warren just rolled his eyes.


	4. Strawberry Ice Cream

DISCLAIMER: Sky High is not mine. I do not own It's No Good, either, which is by Depeche Mode. The name 'Bethany Bright' was thought up by Stephanie Clear who is an awesome writer on this site.

* * *

"I can't believe I let you guys drag me out here." Warren sat at the bar of a very busy, very kitschy dance club.

"It's a celebration!" Will exclaimed cheerily, wrapping one arm around his new girlfriend, Agnes. Yes, it was Agnes Gordon from the Pizza Playground in all of her glory. Layla couldn't help but feel jealous as the two of them got dangerously close, brushing up against each other in ways that weren't generally accepted in public. Apparently dance clubs were different like that.

"I heard all about your new costumes." Agnes gushed leaning around Will to be closer to Layla and Warren. Just what they wanted…

"Do you tell her everything?" Warren glowered, staring at Will with a look that would have killed if it could have.

"It's not exactly top secret stuff, Warren." Will smirked, choosing to be oblivious to how angry his teammate was. Layla, the Switzerland of the trio, silently sipped on her diet coke occasionally glancing from Will to Warren.

"Yeah, well…" Warren huffed. "Whatever. It's just like Layla with her interview."

"Is not!" Layla protested in a loud voice. "I'm being a sort of… a kind of… role model. Will's just trying to get laid." She shrugged, stating the truth matter-of-factly.

"I am not trying to get laid!" Will looked at Layla angrily. "I'm just trying to move on." He gritted his teeth. "Unlike some other people…"

Layla's mouth dropped open slightly as she looked at Will, hurt that he would make a point to say that he was moving on.

"Oh, guys, let's not fight!" Agnes smiled brightly as if it would make things better . "C'mon, Will, I like this song! We can dance…" She nuzzled her face close to his. Will laughed awkwardly, trying his hardest to go against his nature and be smooth for once.

Soon, Agnes was on the crowded dance floor with Will, shamelessly grinding her hips against his and every now and then letting a giggle slip past her lips. Layla turned her bar stool so that she could watch them, green with envy. She finished off her diet coke, setting the empty glass on the bar, and looked at Warren.

"You wanna dance?" She smiled slightly.

"I don't dance." He said it simply.

"I've seen you dance before." Layla crossed her arms, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Yeah, well…" Warren trailed off, eyeing the different couples on the dance floor.

"You're dancing with me." Layla stood up and grabbed Warren's hand, tugging gently so that he would follow her out to the dance floor. It was close. There were people crowded all around them forcing them to narrow the space between their bodies. The music was loud and the bass practically caused everything inside the club to vibrate. The DJ bobbed his head to the beat, changing songs once more.

_I'm going to take my time  
I have all the time in the world  
to make you mine  
it is written in the stars above_

The beat was slow, but constant, and the two of them moved as if the music was coming from inside of them. Although they had a little bit of room, Layla danced closer to Warren. He didn't object. In fact, he was secretly enjoying himself.

_the gods decree  
you'll be right here by my side  
right next to me  
you can run, but you cannot hide_

He looked down to see Layla staring straight ahead at his chest. He smiled to himself, but quickly looked away the moment his eyes met with hers. They were two fairly confident individuals, but when they were in each other's company something happened to that confidence.

_don't say you want me  
don't say you need me  
don't say you love me  
it's understood  
don't say you're happy  
out there without me  
I know you can't be  
'cause it's no good_

Layla had always considered 'feminine' to be an insult. She thought that the words 'feminine' and 'masculine' were stereotypical and went against her feminist values. She would have preferred being called 'confident' or 'intelligent'. Somehow, though, Layla felt feminine in Warren's presence and didn't mind. She felt small and fragile when she was next to him, partially because he was so much taller than she was but also because of his inexplicable aura of strength and mystery.

_I'll be fine  
I'll be waiting patiently  
till you see the signs  
and come running to my open arms_

Warren had thought that he had found the perfect woman in his freshman year at Sky High. Just three years ago he had been dating Bethany Bright, known to some as Freeze Girl. She was beautiful in body, spirit, and mind. Her looks were comparable to that of a supermodel and she carried herself with the grace of a swan. She'd told him that she was leaving him because he couldn't open up and because his closed-off personality caused her pain. Pain was the last thing Warren had wanted to give Beth, but life doesn't always do what you want it to. Now Layla was something entirely different. She wasn't beautiful in the same sense that Beth had been. She was awkward and even silly at times. The one positive quality Layla possessed that Beth had not was persistence. She would never give up on him or even Will no matter how he treated her.

_when will you realise  
do we have to wait till our worlds collide  
open up your eyes  
you can't turn back the tide_

For Layla, her feelings for Warren had been growing since that night that Will stood her up at the Paper Lantern. Warren had been there when she was feeling so very low and, although it had come from a fortune cookie, he had given her good advice. Over the years, they'd become close friends. Although their relationship was friendship and nothing more, Layla had felt for him all along what she was experiencing right then that night on the dance floor in full force. She had always been attracted to him a little bit but, being Will Stronghold's faithful girlfriend, she had pushed those feelings to the cellar of her mind. Now Will was being stupid once again and Layla could feel herself falling for Warren.

_don't say you want me  
don't say you need me  
don't say you love me  
it's understood  
don't say you're happy  
out there without me  
I know you can't be  
'cause it's no good_

The song changed seamlessly to an upbeat pop song by the teen idol of the moment. Warren sighed, stopping his dancing, and left the dance floor without saying a word. Layla wrinkled her eyebrows, confused and disappointed at his sudden departure. She left the dance floor soon after and followed him outside of the club.

"Something wrong?" She looked up at Warren, concern showing in her big brown eyes.

"Yeah," He spoke softly, not even looking Layla in the eyes. "Something is wrong." Layla took a few steps closer to Warren, speaking hesitantly.

"What is it?" Her voice lowered. She was treading on thin ice with him and she could tell.

"You're using me." Warren lifted his head to look at Layla. "And normally I wouldn't mind going along for the ride, but it just doesn't feel right."

"I'm not using you." She objected, shaking her head emphatically at his words. "I would never do that."

Warren wanted to speak up, saying that she had used him to get to Will in their freshman year, but something told him that he should just give up the argument. It was the partial truth, though. Layla wouldn't have danced with Warren had Will come alone and not with Agnes. He knew it, too. Warren sighed, trying to exhale his tension along with his breath.

"You wanna get out of here?" He looked up at Layla who immediately relaxed, glad that he'd dropped the subject of her using him.

"Will and Agnes--"

"Could probably care less about what we do." Warren finished her statement for her. Layla thought about it for a moment, coming to agree with what he'd said.

"Yeah, getting away from here would be nice." She smiled a little bit to Warren who returned the expression.

"The Paper Lantern is a block away. My place is right above it." Layla nodded, eager to find out what Warren's apartment looked like. She tilted her head skyward as they walked, her eyes fixed on Orion's Belt with a smile on her face.

"What?" Warren glanced over, noticing that her attention was on the sky and not on him.

"Orion's Belt. Before my dad passed he used to quiz me on the names of the stars. I only remembered Orion's Belt - Mintaka, Alnilam, and… go figure. I forget the third one." She laughed to herself. Warren just smiled.

"Alnitak." He looked down at her. "I'm pretty sure it's Alnitak." Layla looked up at Warren, surprise showing on her face.

"Yeah, that's the one. You're into astronomy?" She tilted her head with a tiny smile playing on her lips.

"Not really. My father was, though." There was a sudden heaviness in the air as a discussion about astronomy brought up the subject of Warren's father, Baron Battle.

"It's clear out tonight." Layla tilted her head skyward once more, eyeing all the stars whose names she'd forgotten. "You can see _all _of the stars."

"Yeah…?" Warren glanced to the sky, taking a look for himself.

"Just imagine how beautiful it would be if our atmosphere chock full of smog wasn't in the way." Warren smirked at the statement. She really was a flower child, just like Coach Boomer had said on the first day of school. Layla's power over nature suited her. She loved the green earth more than the people who inhabited it. He thought that that was sort of cute in an offbeat kind of way.

"Here we are." He stopped, looking up at the glowing red sign over the Paper Lantern's front entrance for a moment before leading Layla into the building and back to the kitchen. She looked around curiously, having never seen the kitchen of her favorite restaurant. Soon, the two of them came upon a metal staircase leading to the loft above the restaurant. Warren climbed it first so he could open the door to the apartment for Layla in a display of chivalry.

"Nice," She smiled, surveying the living room with her eyes. The room was free from anything personal like trophies, certificates or baby photos. The walls, though, were covered in framed artwork. Anything from black and white photography to oil paintings of picturesque landscapes, it was all over the walls. The only amateur photograph was one of a stunning woman with dark features standing next to an equally attractive man and holding a tiny little toddler who shared their dark looks. Layla assumed correctly that the three in the picture were Warren's mother, father, and self.

"Warren, is that you?" A woman's voice called from a room away.

"Yeah." He raised his voice a bit so that his mother could hear him. "I brought company, so…"

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Mrs. Peace popped her head out of her bedroom to see who Warren meant by 'company'.

"Oh, hello." She smiled at Layla who waved back at the woman. She was more mature than she had been when the picture of their family had been taken. Her lips weren't as pouty and she had faint wrinkles around her mouth, but other than that she looked the same. Her eyes were a dark brown that could have easily been mistaken for little black almond-shaped pools. Mrs. Peace's hair was a dark brown, thick and slightly wavy. Her aura was one of confidence and, looking like she did, Layla didn't blame her.

"Hi…" Layla smiled shyly at her. "I'm Layla."

"Of course! I've heard about you." Mrs. Peace looked from Layla to Warren and back again. "You're the girl who controls nature, yes?" Layla nodded, not sure what to think. Obviously Warren had spoken about her. Either that or someone else had spoken about her.

"Well… There are leftovers in the fridge if you two get hungry. I also bought strawberry ice cream, your favorite." She smiled at Warren, turning to walk back inside her bedroom.

"That's you?" Layla pointed to the photograph of Warren and his parents.

"Yeah, that's me when I was three." He smiled just a little bit. "I can't believe that my head was ever that big." Layla laughed a little, her eyes fixed on the photograph for a second or two before looking back at Warren.

"I had a big head when I was little, too." She sighed. "The doctor even ordered tests to make sure nothing was wrong with me." Warren nodded.

"Yeah, never had tests done but… Damn." He smiled at the picture, silently wishing that his family was still whole again. The year the picture had been taken was the year that his father had left the family in pursuit of world domination. Things were never simple with superhero or super villain parents.

Layla plopped down, taking a seat on the living room sofa. She leaned back with her head on a pillow, sighing softly. She was relaxing, even closing her eyes for a moment, but then her eyes opened as she looked over to Warren with a tiny smile.

"Ice cream?" He suggested, wanting some for himself.

"Sure." Layla began to get to her feet, ready to scoop out and serve her own desert, but Warren stopped her.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get you a bowl." Warren made his way over to the kitchen, pulling two small bowls from one of the cupboards. He grabbed a tablespoon and reached into the freezer to pull out a container of strawberry ice cream. It was hard and for a moment he thought that he would have to heat it with his powers just so the spoon could penetrate its icy surface. He scooped out several healthy-sized dollops of the sweet, filling both bolds with its creamy goodness. Warren's mouth was already watering from looking at the icy pink stuff. He snatched up two smaller spoons, sticking one in each bowl and tucking the ice cream back into the freezer before walking back over to the coach where Layla sat.

"Thanks," She smiled up at him, accepting her bowl. Warren took a seat next to her. "So…" She took a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "Strawberry's your favorite?"

"Yeah," Warren nodded, swallowing his ice cream so quickly that it gave him a 'brain freeze'. "I like it best with all sorts of things in it, though. Sprinkles, nuts, fudge…" He took another bite, shrugging. "But it's just fine on its own, too."

"My favorite's pistachio. The green kind, you know?" Warren smiled faintly.

"Greenie through and through, huh?" Layla laughed and nodded in response.

"Don't vegetarians hate dairy, though?" He tilted his head in her direction.

"Oh, no, that's vegans. I believe that if milk can be produced without harming the creature it comes from it's safe to be consumed. Plus, I'm a real sucker for chocolate milk, so…" She smiled.

"I don't know how you can not crave meat. Steak, pepperoni, bacon…" Layla just wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"I guess it's easier when you've been raised by a mother who can talk to animals. It's hard to eat something you can carry on a conversation with." Warren nodded, knowing that if his mother possessed the ability to communicate with fauna he probably wouldn't enjoy the Paper Lantern's sweet and sour chicken so much. Lucky for him, he had no problems eating meat. He got to indulge in carnivorous pleasures whenever he got hungry.

"What time is it, anyway?" Layla shoveled the rest of the ice cream into her mouth, looking all around the room for a clock. Warren rolled up his shirt sleeve a little bit, examining the face of his watch.

"Wow, time flies… It's ten." Layla sighed in disappointment.

"I've got to get up early tomorrow." She frowned. "I'm going to have to be heading out."

Warren nodded, probably just as disappointed if not more than she was. He grabbed her empty bowl, stacking his on top of it and taking them to the kitchen sink.

"Thank you for the ice cream and the company." Layla smiled warmly at Warren.

"No problem. Sure beats a night on the town watching Stronghold's ego grow to the size of a small African country." She laughed, nodding in agreement with his statement.

"You want me to walk you home…?" Layla stopped herself before she insisted that she'd be alright on her own.

"Yeah, that would be nice." A tiny, timid smile formed on her face. Warren nodded, leading Layla to his bedroom. At first she was confused, but all of that cleared up quickly as she realized that they were taking the fire escape down to the sidewalk. It was easier than unlocking all of the bolts on the front entrance to the Paper Lantern.

Layla's home was only a couple blocks away. Maxville was small for a bustling metropolis, allowing walking to be the most common form of transportation. The duo held hands casually, not really thinking anything of it, and made their way along the well-kept sidewalk that lead to Layla's house.

They were both fairly quiet, every once in awhile looking up at each other, and soon Warren found himself on Layla's doorstep, looking into those big brown eyes of hers. It seemed only natural to lean in closer and once he was closer one thing led to another. Before he knew it, Warren became aware that his lips were gently pressed against hers in a fairly innocent kiss. He pulled back quickly, unsure if Layla was alright with being kissed or not, but she pulled him back and deepened their kiss.

"Night." She spoke in a soft sort of bedroom voice, disappearing into her quaint little home.

_I'm going to take my time  
I have all the time in the world  
to make you mine  
it is written in the stars above_


End file.
